Taking care of a cat or dog is entirely different from taking care of snakes. Many people say that the care of pet snakes is elementary and does not require much expense. I would disagree with this statement because the care is quite specific, and not every person will be willing to do it. There are also many nuances that few people talk about. For example, snakes sometimes emit an unpleasant smell, get sick, are picky about food. If you want a snake badly, you will put up with all the peculiarities. I suggest you read more about snakes at My Snake Pet - All About Your Pet Snake.
Snakes are no different to keep than lizards. First and foremost you should make sure you are fully versed on the requirements required to keep the snake in the eco system that it will thrive in.
Like every other animal each species has different environment and care requirements and you can't generalise with them.
Its frightening how many people impulse buy reptiles and only start researching how to look after them after bringing them home.
You should arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can on the husbandry of a particular species and have its enclosure set up and running long before you purchase the snake.